1. Field of the Invention
This invention provides a constrained, 2-Axis, articulating, self-retained and position maintaining, on-wall bracket mounting system. Specifically, this invention enables the mounting of diverse shaped and various sized devices on walls such as the mounting of loudspeaker systems.
2. Related Art
Tens of millions of on-wall loudspeaker systems have been installed the world over and all of them present their installers a series of installation challenges that fall into two broad categories. The first is aligning it with the environment into which it is being installed and the second is the method by which it is secured or retained into the preferred position. While many of these systems feature only a single axis mounting bracket system, thereby simplifying the alignment issue, they still mostly require the installer to manually insert and activate some kind of threaded fastening system and then to make a “best guess” as to how one system aligns or duplicates the positioning of a second, third or more systems. The alignment/retention issue becomes even more challenging when the widely employed “ball and socket” system (Omni-Mount® type) is used as it provides the installer with few if any limitations to its potential orientation. While some might view this as an inherent advantage, in reality if the installation requires at least a modicum of consistent symmetry between the various loudspeakers and their environment, then the ball and socket method becomes substantially more bothersome and expensive to install. And all of the legacy ball and socket systems require the installer to manually install and activate the aforementioned threaded fastening system, usually while perched precariously high up a ladder, holding the loudspeaker system in the desire position with one hand and a screwdriver in the other hand, all while trying to insert the screwdriver into the tensioning fastener's drive head which in invariably located in some dark, awkward, difficult to find location.
The invention disclosed circumvents the aforementioned difficulties. It constrains movements to just two axes, eliminating the tilted loudspeaker syndrome associated with ball and socket systems. It does not require the installer to engage with any threaded fastening device to retain/tension the loudspeaker in the desired position and it provides “clicks” that correspond to specific degrees of movement, that when counted, telegraph just how far the loudspeaker has been moved along either of two axes (e.g. 10 clicks equal 30 degrees of movement) or in some combination of the two. Simply using their hands alone the installer is able to position/re-position the loudspeaker exactly into the desired orientation. Subsequently, directing a plurality of loudspeakers using the same “click-count” procedure ensures that all are aligned exactly the same. The invention(s) described also enable much larger angular movements than do more traditional approaches while keeping the loudspeaker mounted closely to the wall's surface. In addition, because it is possible for an unauthorized party to reposition the loudspeaker the design incorporates a locking feature that rigidly locks the loudspeaker into the position specified by the original installer. The nature of the design also provides for simple “scaling” of the design for larger (e.g. heavier) or smaller systems and a hollow shaft is provided that facilitates wire routing.